--- Chris <mythtech_at_Mac.com> wrote:
> >Does anyone know if there is any info to be had about how the innards
> >of games like Dark Tower function. I've never seen inside one but I
> >presume there's a custom chip that's a microprocessor, RAM and ROM
> >all rolled into one, for cost reasons.
>
> I think I still have mine, and in working condition. Although I would not
> be willing to part with it (thus why I think I still have it), I CAN open
> it and send some digital pics of the chips. Maybe even draw out some
> schematics.
That would be helpful.
> I would guess that based on its age, there is nothing fancy in there.
> Probably a simple eeprom or something for storing your stats, and
> everything else was probably random gates (fighting, spinning,
> whathaveyou).
Eeprom? In 1982? What I expect is in there is a single custom chip
(random gates are too expensive for a mass-market toy). What would
be perfect would be the recorded ramblings of one of the designers
more than anything else.
As far as "emulation" goes, I would think you could just
> write it from the ground up following the rules of the game. Although, it
> wouldn't be a true emulation, it would make it playable
But that's the whole point. I can write something, perhaps even in a
toy language like Javascript, that would imitate the functions of the
game and more or less play like the real thing, due to things like
how the random number generator works, activities like searching tombs
for treasure or haggling in the bazaar might or might not be close
to the original.
Imitation is easy. Emulation is harder.
> (and you could do
> it networked EASY... now THAT would be a cool internet based game!)
That _would_ be fun.
-ethan
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Received on Mon Oct 15 2001 - 13:29:38 BST